Legal Defense Fund Working to Mitigate the Impacts of COVID-19 on Black Communities

Due in large part to a lack of responsiveness by the federal government, our nation is currently being ravaged by an invisible threat–COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus. With 9 in 10 Americans impacted by stay-at-home orders, the closures of college campuses and schools, and en masse layoffs, our economy is spiraling toward recession, and Black communities have been some of the most impacted.

Many Black communities across America are already underresourced, and LDF works day-in and day-out to undo these structural racial inequalities. The healthcare system is infected with biases that have been proven to affect the way Black patients are treated. Our criminal justice system is being used to enforce stay-at-home orders, going so far as to fine, ticket, or arrest those who are not practicing social distance at the sole discretion of police officers. Students who relied on school meals are going hungry. Parents who do not have the luxury of working from home are worrying about how they will keep the lights on and water running in their homes. And at a national level, the Black vote, which was already subject to voter suppression, is now threatened by the fear of contagion during the 2020 Election.

Just like any other, LDF is not backing down from this fight. Our staff is working diligently to mitigate the unique threats that COVID-19 poses to Black communities. These are just some of the most recent ways that we are working to protect Black communities during the coronavirus pandemic: